INCA AptiTune
INCA AptiTune is the easy-to-use PID loop tuner that allows you to tune your single and multiple interacting PID loops quickly and efficiently.
Examples of interacting loops are all PID controllers around distillation columns, superheaters in boilers, furnaces (e.g. in refineries and ethylene),..
Tuning is done based on engineering specifications like optimal tracking or disturbance rejection with minimal overshoot or minimum robustness. These specifications are the things that matter for your process stability and efficiency.
Tuning individual and interacting PID controllers
In day to day operation PID controllers are:
- Often in manual mode, or are put in manual during large disturbances.
- Causing process oscillations due to bad tuning or sub-optimal control strategies.
- Tuning rules like Ziegler-Nichols, Lambda and Kappa-Tau give reasonable results in many cases. For loops that have a direct effect on product quality, energy consumption or overall plant throughput, real optimal tuning is needed. Then you need the INCATools from IPCOS.
- Tuned based on a time consuming trial and error approach. This can result in long startup times for grass root plants.
- Interacting with each other, posing a challenge to the control engineers.
Tuning individual and interacting PID controllers based on engineering specifications
- Tune PID controllers for optimal setpoint tracking (rise time, settling time, energy…) and/or disturbance rejection (settling time, energy,…).
- Apply constrained tuning. E.g. maximum overshoot, minimal robustness, high frequency gain,….
- Powerful model identification. The controller interactions are identified based on step testing data. E.g. All interactions between the controllers of a distillation column are modeled.
- No trial and error “detuning” needed with interacting PID controllers.
- Define maximum overshoot, robustness, settling time as optimization targets.
- INCA AptiTune generates PID parameters for your DCS. All common DCS and PLC templates are known. Templates can be generated for less common or new DCS/PLC systems.
- Automatic reporting. Keep track of all tuning activities on every PID loop.
- Tune ALL your controllers “First time right”. Try out the INCA Aptitune software for free.
Have a look at the INCA AptiTune workflow
Interested in a solid overall impression of INCATools AptiTune? Go to the INCATools Academy for short demonstrations of the software or watch the video’s below:
- A simple tuning workflow
- Tuning with no overshoot
- Tuning with reduced OP kick
- Comparing AptiTune to ZN and Lambda
- Tuning integrating loops
A white paper is available for download explaining AptiTune and AptiTune Go in more detail.
Watch these webinars on PID Performances, Cascading loops, Interacting loops, PID tuning during plant startup, the D in PID
Visit our Youtube channel to watch our recorded Webinars (e.g. AptiTune Go webinar) or an introduction video on AptiTune Go.
Need PID tuning training? Click here
Best practices
- Look beyond: Look beyond the controllers. Look at the process, the instruments, the actuators.
- Tune for purpose: Tune the controllers optimally for the job they need to do (setpoint tracking and/or disturbance rejection).
- Robust control is simple control: Robust controllers can make your life more easy (less gain scheduling or complicated control setups).
- Document: keep track of all PID modifications in a clear way.
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